


Catching a Cat

by zeroxfortyfive



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Identity Reveal, Kind of a meme, Marichat, Pokemon cause why not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-27
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-11-06 10:43:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17938310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeroxfortyfive/pseuds/zeroxfortyfive
Summary: Chat Noir finds Marinette's copy of Pokemon, and manages to find out far more than he expected to know...





	Catching a Cat

**Author's Note:**

> Shameless drabble because I've been playing far too much Pokemon Diamond lately. Got the idea while playing and it was too much fun to not write out. Much better if you open the music at the appropriate link.

            She loved having her kitty around. His late night visits had gotten to be a normal occurrence for Marinette, something she regularly looked forward to. A small smile spread across her face as she grabbed the last of the day’s croissants. Living above a bakery, there were often odds and ends from the day that didn’t sell. The _Boulangerie Patisserie_ would never sell customers day-old pastries, so they were left free for the taking before being boxed up and sent over to the nearest homeless shelter. Whether her parents were aware of the decreasing stock, she wasn’t sure, but decided it wasn’t enough to be suspicious. Her sweet tooth was no surprise to her parents.

            Scooping the last few treats onto a platter, she lifted it off the counter and made the careful trek to the stairs. Her footsteps were light as she traipsed through the house, careful to not make any extra noise. As much as her parents would love the sight of her and Chat, they would be substantially less pleased about being woken before their already far-too-early alarm. She shuddered a little at the very thought of such a terrible fate. With practiced ease, she made it safely to the base of the stairs. With one hand, she gripped the tray tightly, pushing open her trapdoor with the other.

            She could see his ears visibly perk up as she entered. It was almost frightening how much the boy truly moved like a cat. First came the expectant prick of the ears, then a wiggle of the nose as the scent of pastry hit him, followed by the sudden appearance of two piercing green eyes. He peeked from the top of Marinette’s bed, closely watching as she set the platter down on a side table. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she took her favorite from the pile- a chocolate éclair- and sat down on her chaise.

“You know, croissants taste better if you eat them with your mouth, not your eyes,” she chided, amusement shining through.

As if the very thought was an earth-shatteringly new idea to his mind, the black cat scrambled down from his perch. It didn’t take long for a croissant to meet its end. Mouth full, he groaned happily. She giggled at the look of pure satisfaction making its way across his face.

Appetite sated (after the phrase _only just one more_ was repeated twice), he returned up to her bed, content. She moved to her desk, opening up a sketchbook and beginning to idly draw. The two of them had reached a comfortable quiet, in which they could simply enjoy each other’s company. He would often read or nap as she worked on personal projects. The presence of each other was an idle comfort, and sent them both into a cozy state of mind whenever they were together.

Tonight, though, she could practically smell the mischief in the air. As if right on cue, Chat spoke.

“Hey, what’s this?”

She paused, apprehensive about what he may have found. She didn’t have anything embarrassing up there, did she? She took a frantic look through her mental file of _Marinette’s Secrets and Compromising Information_ , satisfied when nothing came up. Still, she waited for his response before completely relaxing.

“I didn’t know you had a DS!” he said, excitement clear in his voice.

Pleased with the lack of world-ending embarrasment, she turned back to her book. Picking up her pencil, she responded.

“It was a birthday gift from Maman and Papa forever ago. I remember Nino getting one the same time too. They couldn’t keep us apart! All we ever did was play Pokemon.”

“Alright then, prepare to get your party judged by the self-proclaimed EV master,” he shot back, flipping open the pink lid. Both teens brightened at the sound slipping out of the small speakers. The lilting tones of [Solaceon Town](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ3gp7Gyk-o) was instantly familiar to both of them, the soft jazz a relaxing sound to an already warm evening. A few soft _dings_ , and she knew he had her party open.

“Okay, I see you’ve played this a little bit…” he laughed. She couldn’t see what he was looking at, but the way he snickered let her know exactly what he found.

“Are you serious? A level 84 _Bidoof_?” he asked, incredulously. “I don’t think I’ve ever had this dedication in anything I’ve ever done…”

“Shut up!” she responded, voice light and teasing. “It’s relaxing to just zone out and grind! Don’t act like you’ve never spent way too much time in a video game.”

“Oh, I’m guilty as charged,” he said, “but a Bidoof? Really? You must hate yourself.”

“Come on! He’s cute!”

“Agreed, but _he’s a Bidoof!_ ”

“You’re a Bidoof.”

“Your face is a Bidoof!”

She let out a small gasp, wheeling her chair back to see his face peering over the edge, eyes glinting with amusement.

“That’s it,” she said, staring him down. “When I beat the League with my Bidoof army you’ll be the first one to go in the revolution.”

Conceding defeat, he laughed and tossed himself back onto her plush comforter. She scooted back to the desk, order restored.

“I will admit, the Bidoof is a surprise, but this team isn’t too bad,” he said, scrolling through the rest of her Pokemon. “These names are kind of funny, though. I can’t say I’ve ever heard of these nicknames.”

Pausing, she looked up, listening curiously.

“I mean, the Vespiquen being named Pollen is kind of boring. It’s themed, but you didn’t have anything better? I believed in your creativity more, Marinette.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, the satisfaction of it somewhat diminished since he couldn’t see it.

“Your Torterra has good stats, but what kind of name is Wayzz? Is he trying to give me directions? I’m more of a Google Maps kind of guy.”

“Also, your Ledyba’s name is very off brand. Tikki? Isn’t that, like, a beach thing? Everyone knows they name their Ledyba _Spots_. It’s just common sense!”

A cold shock ran down Marinette’s spine, suddenly remembering the cute naming scheme she had chosen for her team. While it made Tikki giggle, she hadn’t really expected anyone else to see the game. Especially one black cat who, of all people, would have heard those names before. Nervously, she climbed out of her chair and took up residence on the ladder, watching his face as he scrunched his nose in confusion. The look didn’t last long, though, making way for a quiet realization.

One more _ding_ of the menu, she knew, and he’d see the last one in her party of four.

It felt like an eternity, but she finally heard the sound she suddenly dreaded.

The silence that followed told her exactly what she needed to know. Peeking over the edge, she was met with a look from her partner she didn’t know how to read. _He’s not upset,_ she thought, returning the gaze with a nervous intensity. His eyes flitted down to the screen, before coming back to rest on her face. The silence was deafening, until it was broken by Chat.

“You know…if you wanted to tell me who you were, you didn’t have to do it via Pokemon,” he said, tone flat, with what she could only hope was a hint of amusement.

“W-what? You’re crazy, I-I have no idea what you’re-“

Her rambling stopped short before another look from Chat. Slowly turning the console in his hands, he showed her the screen.

“You named your Luxray _Chaton_.”

 

A pause.

 

Marinette used Nervous Giggle.

It was super effective!

Chat fainted.

 

Whatever tension had built between them suddenly dissipated in a fit of laughter from the two teens. The sheer ridiculousness of the situation washing over them was almost too much to bear. Marinette climbed the extra few steps and sat herself down next to Chat.

“Is it really you, _my lady_?” he asked, in between fits of laughter.

“The one and only,” she responded, her face warming rapidly.

“When we were talking about catching them all, I didn’t think that meant my partner as well,” he said, reaching up to pull her into his arms.

She giggled, laying next to him and accepting his embrace.

“Guess you’ve got me now.”


End file.
